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Sunday, May 22, 2016

Rugby Colorado Championships: Finals

Rugby Colorado Championships: D2 recap, D1 match
report

In the Division 2 title game, Central Terrors
of Colorado Springs ran out to a 2-try, 12-nil advantage in the early innings
before a pair of finely flowing backline movements allowed Monarch to knot the
tallies with two dots, one converted, and everyone knew one dozen at the break.
The Terrors scored an unconverted try by their flyhalf for the only numbers of
the second period and claimed the Division 2 crown at the 17-12 result.

Every phase of play intensely contested in the Grand Final

Still a bit warm, but
otherwise ideal conditions as referee Brian Zapp whistled up the kickoff and
2015’s Division 1 finalists engaged
in the business of determining best in state. The last time these two XVs met
it was league play in a spring snowstorm at Regis and the Jesuit owned the
breakdown; not the case this evening as the Angels back three: Max Cohen, Sam
Golla and Kilauea Tora were keen for contact and fluid with offload to put East
on the front foot early.

Denver
the business seeing swift passage of pill along the three-quarters line with
flyhalf Sam Addix distributing to centers, Adam Leonard and Yanni Stavropoulos,
and that pair smashing past the gainline to setup fast recycle. It was Leonard
to space freeing flyer, Abdul Neville, who fended a tackle and scored in the
corner; 5-nil Angels in the 5th minute.

Now
Regis showing the form pattern in 8man pick-and-goes by Matt Peppercorn and
gainline gets from standoff Ryan Maxfield. But it was three more for East after
a sticksplitter from Addix in the 18th minute: 8-0 for Angels.

Regis
got on the board with touch down by hooker Dylan Able after a won lineout and five
phases of hard knocks on the door by crabbing, piston-like pick-and-goes within
ten meters of the Angels goal; conversion by Lou “Sweet” Vera and 8-7 for
Denver in the 21st minute.

The
Jesuit went aheadafter Denver were
pinged at breakdown 15 meters from their goaline. Maxfield quickly-tapped and
wove a jinky path to goal for his grounding converted by Vera and it was 14-8
for Regis in the 25th minute.

East
responded after capitalizing on a penalty award eight meters out that the
Angels quickly-tapped and swiftly slung along the backline for Leonard’s plunge
into goal for a try, and it was 14-13 at Zapp’s halftime signal.

A
pair of finely finished trys enough for the one-point midway advantage for
Regis, but East with the majority of territory and possession in the first half
hour of play.

Brilliant
work by both sides in the second stanza and furious and determined action
between the 22s, yet no further scoring until Addix split the sticks from 30
meters out to give East a 16-14 lead with only three minutes left on the clock.

A
pair of Angels penalties late kept the ball in Raiders paws with time running fast
and away. The second infringement at time enabled a Jesuit shot on goal for the
state championship title. Vera wasted no time sizing and setting before
addressing deliberately and driving the victory shot straight through the
uprights for the 17-16 Regis record.